


Overheat

by cuddlesome



Category: Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Drabble, Gen, ORAS, Team Magma - Freeform, Volcanoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 03:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2493035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuddlesome/pseuds/cuddlesome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tabitha doesn't entirely like the team's uniform. Particularly not when it's cooking him alive in the depths of Mount Chimney.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overheat

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a drabble for a game that’s not out yet because why the heck not, right?

Tabitha felt a deep seated respect for the natural power of volcanoes; within rested the capability to destroy, and, more importantly, create. Entire landmasses arose from places such as this. He felt giddy knowing that such power would be used in the orchestration of Team Magma's plans to expand Hoenn for the greater good.

That didn’t stop him from resenting the extreme climate.

The temperature inside the aptly named Mount Chimney on top of his layered clothing had him sweltering. All of the extra body heat that came along with being horizontally tall, as one of the less respectful grunts put it when they thought he wasn’t listening, didn’t help either.

At least with his high rank he wasn't required to put his hood on to match the rest of the team. If he had one more layer of clothing on, even something as minimal as a hood, he felt certain he would overheat and collapse. It wouldn’t do much for Team Magma's reputation if a meddling trainer found their admin passed out on the ground in a puddle of sweat.

Not to mention his own personal reputation with the team. It had taken a long while to claw his way up to his position, and putting it at risk for something as silly as this would be foolish.

He pulled at his polo neck and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his glove. As much as the admin respected his boss, having a full-body sweater and a hooded vest as the uniform when Team Magma did fieldwork in volcanoes wasn’t one of Maxie’s better ideas. Supposedly the bulky, sweltry outfit was designed to be fire-retardant and therefore essential to their work. In Tabitha's opinion, this feature didn't even begin to make it worth suffering the additional discomfort.

Just as he got to the point of reaching up to unfasten his jacket, Courtney came around the corner. She approached him, eating what appeared to be rice cakes. Her countenance looked blank as ever.

“What were you doing buying food while you’re supposed to be on duty?” Tabitha wouldn’t act like he’d never done something similar before, but having the gall to let the other admin see was pushing it.  
  
Courtney shrugged. After a moment she held out a couple of the rice cakes. "Want... some?"

Tabitha eyed the proffered hand suspiciously. “Is this a bribe to get me to not report you for slacking off?"

"...no..."

Reading Courtney's expression would be like attempting to do the same with a Porygon. Except the Porygon would express more.

"So would you say it's a... "just because" sort of thing?"

She nodded.

If Tabitha's face wasn't already bright red from the heat of the volcano, he very well might have blushed. It wasn't often he got gifts. He covered up his embarrassment with one of his guffawing laughs.

"Thank you," he said, accepting the treats and popping them into his mouth all at once.

"Mmhm..."

The two admins stood in silence after that; Tabitha took off one of his gloves and fanned himself with it while Courtney stared straight ahead at nothing in particular. Just as Tabitha thought about attempting to discuss something with her, namely the heat, as quickly as she arrived, she left, leaving Tabitha to continue mentally whining about how hot it was.

In a valiant endeavor to get more air circulating, hot and dry as the air around him was, he grabbed the front of his jacket and sweater and wrenched them both from side to side. His sweat-slicked torso stayed just as hot as before. Tabitha exhaled with a subdued huff and dropped the layers back into place, mentally preparing for when the calidity would knock him out. He would need at least five grunts to carry him out when he finally succumbed to heat stroke. Tabitha gave his tummy a few thoughtful squeezes as he smoothed down his jacket. Maybe closer to ten of them. Give or take.

Just as he thought about it, some of the lower class Magma members rounded the corner.

Tabitha managed to pull himself together long enough to stand up straight, suck in his gut the best he could, and grin at the pair of grunts as they walked by. Better to put up a false pretense that he could maintain the attitude he always sported in headquarters even in this miserable area to assure them their Magma Leader’s confidence never slipped. Or, well. Magma Administrator. Future Magma Leader.

They responded with the detached nods he'd come to expect--had they picked it up from Courtney? Probably. For all his friendliness and the close-knit relationships he established with the grunts, she gave off a professional air in lieu of basic social skills--and walked on. Tabitha noted that they were in step with each other and had their heads held high. Each move was deliberate and precise. Were they hiding their discomfort with their uniforms as he was, or were they truly not uncomfortable?

Tabitha's smile contorted into something of a grimace the moment the grunts rounded the corner.


End file.
